Exploring first-year English majors’ practices of extensive listening: A descriptive study

Abstract

Listening is widely acknowledged as a foundational component of language learning and contributes significantly to overall language proficiency. Various instructional approaches have been introduced to help learners strengthen their listening competence, among which Extensive Listening has attracted increasing attention. Extensive Listening exposes learners to substantial amounts of comprehensible and engaging input through repeated, meaningful listening practice. Understanding how first-year English majors engage with Extensive Listening is particularly important because they are transitioning to more autonomous learning at university while often facing listening difficulties and limited guidance beyond the classroom. This study investigates first-year English majors’ practices of Extensive Listening, focusing on their materials, listening frequency, strategies, and reported challenges. A mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating a post-intervention questionnaire administered to 128 participants and follow-up interviews with 12 students. The findings indicate that students commonly selected listening materials based on personal interest or language level, with digital platforms such as YouTube and podcasts widely used. Many students reported practising listening several times per week and using strategies such as note-taking, subtitles, shadowing, pausing, and repeated listening to support comprehension. However, students also reported difficulties in finding suitable materials, understanding fast speech, managing time, and maintaining motivation. The study concludes that although students actively engage in Extensive Listening, structured pedagogical support remains important. These findings offer practical implications for EFL educators seeking to integrate Extensive Listening into early university curricula.